Paekakariki Road Race Report

Here we all are! ... and the official results - oh, firstly, they changed the course slightly from previous years for safety reasons, so the loop was 5.3km - meaning 10k was 10.6k and 15k was 15.9k.

Cameron (72) 5.3km - 4/8 age group and 9/28 (25:49)
Me (161) 10.6km - 4/6 age group and 13/22 (1:01:01)
Dianna (204) 15.9km - 2/5 age group and 13/22 (1:20:13)
Julie (288) 15.9km - 5/5 age group and 20/22 (1:30:18)
Georgie (167) and Stephie (168) (yes, they are identical twins!) 10.6km walk - 1=/3, 2=/11 (1:25:56)

So we all did good!

The race itself - well, as you can see it was perfect running weather - misty rain, cool breeze, very nice!

They had to change the course this year, something to do with road safety, I haven't run it before so I'm not sure what they changed, something in Queen Elizabeth Park - but this year they added a loop in the park, which included a killer up hill - I think that really sorted everyone out! I was a bit disappointed it wasn't exactly 10km, I wanted to see how I did timewise in a 10km - but 10.6 is close enough!

Great course, a big hill about 1.5km in, and some other smaller rolling hills. I had a game plan, I didn't want to push it too hard, not with a long run the next day, my plan was to run about the pace I wanted (5:45/km) on the flat, take it easy up the hills and catch up on speed on the way down. I reckon I did it well. First time around the first hill wasn't too bad at all, all that training has obviously been good for my strength :), the second hill in the park was a killer but I ran all the way up and caught my breath on the hill going down straight after.

Funny thing about the killer hill - I remember it SO well from school cross-country, it's probably about 0.5km? from what was the start line way back then, all the kids would sprint off, and I couldn't sprint (still can't!) to save myself, so I'd be towards the back ... hit that hill and all the sprinters would be walking and gasping for breath, that's where I'd pass them all - not much has changed! LOL

So, after lap one - I was feeling great! Stopped briefly for a drink, enough time to ask Cam how he went, then carried on. Second time around, the first hill was definitely harder work ... but I passed the woman who was just ahead of me, but not quite catchable for a quite a while before it - she stopped at walked, I kept running ... and never saw her again. Once I was over that hill I actually picked up my pace a bit, as we hit the park I decided I was going to walk some of the killer hill so I'd have enough energy to put more into the home stretch - I ran up half of it then, walked (fast) up the last half - it is a short sharp steep hill, so really I don't think walking was any slower than running! Shot down the hill, ran up the last upward rise out of the park and then dug it in for the last down hill and then last I'd say half km straight/flat stretch to the finish. I had enough in me to do a faster run to finish (I couldn't call it a sprint, as I said, I can't sprint!), but had plenty left in me to push myself (unlike previous 10km races where I've had nothing left for any sort of fast burst at the end).

I was so happy with the way I paced myself, I never felt like it was too hard or I was pushing myself more than I should and I finished with exactly the overall pace that I wanted. Yay me!

Also really happy that I finished middle of the pack!

... and a quick note about Cameron, I'm so proud of him - 25:49 (4.52/km), he hadn't run 5km before, he got up to 4km the day before! He did so well :) He's now keen to run the 7km Around the Bays run in a few weeks, I'm planning on running the half marathon - so he'll keep running over the next few weeks. First up he has a cricket tournament in New Plymouth over the next few days though!